Amazon today announced that Kindle Fire HD 8.9" is now available in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Japan. The company also lowered the price of the tablet in the US, with the Wi-Fi version now starting at $269 and the 4G version starting at $399.

Kindle Fire HD 8.9" features a 8.9" display has the highest resolution of any Kindle Fire (1920x1200, 254 ppi); Dolby audio and dual stereo speakers; a built-in dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi; and a front-facing HD camera.

Amazon launched its first Kindle Fire tablet in 2011 to compete with Apple's iPad and other tablets that run on Google's Android operating system.

Amazon sells its devices at cost, undercutting Apple prices. The company aims to make money when customers use its tablets to buy physical and digital products from the company, such as movies, music, games and apps.